Perisher Pics - Before and After the Double Dump of June 2014

The flags are flying high at Perisher (Authors Photo)

The Aussie snow bears and bunnies were a little anxious at the start of June. With a less than awesome 2013 snow season and a higher than average temperature in May 2014, it was looking like a repeat might have been on the cards. This was reinforced by the fact that the snowmakers were struggling to get the temperatures they needed to consistently fire up their guns. Then as the peak season of 2014 approached, the weather charts began to look hopeful. The ski forums lit up with a buzz. Snow enthusiasts were undertaking a mass snow dance. With its temperature origins from Antarctica, a massive frontal system began creeping across the South West of Australia. From a week prior to its predicted arrival, the charts looked too good to be true. Bring on the Antarctic blast. Early optimists were forecasting up to metre of snow in the Perisher Resort. Due to it being too early to definitively know, the pessimists were doubtful. How wrong they were. It later became apparent that a similar system was following it. The first one was due on Monday the 23^rd of June with the backup due on Saturday the 28^th. Suddenly, the crazy optimists looked like they knew exactly what they were talking about. As the first system moved closer, the charts remained basically unchanged and it was clear that a big dump was guaranteed. Instantly, all of Australia had tuned into the fate of the Snowy Mountains. As the first dump began to puke, the second one also cemented its inevitability of arriving with more big snow. The infamous 'Double Dump of the Decade' rhetoric was being birthed. This was a snow event usually reserved for Aussie dreams. With everyone waiting in anticipation, the snow god got to work. The first dump provided the Perisher Resort with around 120 cms over a few days. The wind was incredible - the howls sounded like an overexcited snow god playing in his own creation. It ensured that all that fresh snow was equally distributed across the entire resort. In the couple of days before the next system's arrival, what had been previously unleashed had mostly turned into an icy packed base, which is exactly what we needed. With a solid core, the second dump topped it up with maybe another metre of powder which ensured the post double dump conditions were ideal. This may be the rare occasion where a two metre base has been gifted in June/July. Regardless of the exact amount, Perisher was sprayed with a mountain of snow in a week. Aussie snow was quickly at its near best.

The optimists were right – looking right from the Perisher Bridge (Authors Photos)

There is no debate left – looking left from the Perisher Bridge (Authors Photos)

Follow the hell snow pic road (Authors Photos)

The sun lighting the way (Authors Photos)

Perisher is a now snow haven (Authors Photos)

The Snow God is ‘The Man’ (Authors Photos)

The sad panda is transformed into the happy panda (Authors Photos)

Stuck between a rock and a fast pace (Authors Photos)

From Blue Cow to Blue Wow (Authors Photos)

Game on...

Perisher staff have been working tirelessly to get all the runs prepared and open. It’s not just getting enough snow that’s required - all the hazards need to be marked and the snow needs to be moved to suit the layout of the resort. During the week beginning the 30th of June, i.e. NOW, the Perisher resort is basically fully operational and those skiing and boarding are carving up close to the best conditions that Australian snow can offer. The sun is out, the ravens are raaa-ing, and the powder is plentiful. The new Guthega chair lift also got underway on the 30th. It offers fantastic views of Mount Kosciusko and the main range, as well as opens the back area of the resort to a whole new demographic of bears and bunnies. Some will no doubt be disappointed as Guthega has for a long time been a mildly-kept secret. With white gold comes yellow gold - the Aussie snow culture is turning up in droves. Justifiably, everyone wants a piece of the action. The snow is dry which is exactly what the powder junkies need to get their fix. Everyone is going ballistic about it and social media is off the charts. Ultimately, the snow culture in 2014 has been revived from its slumber.